Photo by Derek Purdy - Flickr
Movie stars may be blessed at birth with great hair and good looks, but when it comes to building bodies that will make a lasting impression, they have to put in the work -- just like the rest of us. We asked professional celebrity trainers Ashley Borden, Ramona Braganza, Joe Dowdell, and Valerie Waters to tell us which actors took on the toughest workouts to mold on-screen physiques that were truly unforgettable. Here are their top 20.
Getty Images
Didn’t see the hackneyed search-for-sunken-treasure movie “Into the Blue?” Neither did we. But YouTube search “Jessica Alba Into the Blue,” however, and you’ll see what’s possibly the best display of bikiniwear since Christie Brinkley showed up on Sports Illustrated. In the movie’s U.S. trailer, Sony Pictures actually had to digitally retouch Alba’s swimwear to make it less revealing. It was that hot. “Jessica’s lean, but still has curves,” said Ramona Braganza, creator of the 3-2-1 Training Method and a member of the Gold’s Gym Fitness Council. “Her body just glides during the underwater scenes.”
Getty Images
Jackman was the only unanimous choice from our panel, and it’s easy to see why. A barrel chest, bulging shoulders, and biceps that look they swallowed cantaloupes – Hugh looked huge as Wolverine. According to Men’s Fitness, Jackman’s trainer, Mike Ryan, used a combination of compound lifts (squats, deadlifts and presses) and cardio to help the actor pack on lean, ripped muscle. “He didn’t put on a lot of mass for the role, but the size he added was pure quality,” Peak Performance CEO and LIVESTRONG.com adviser Joe Dowdell said.
Getty Images
There was a lot to love about the “Blade” movies: vampires, violence, Wesley Snipes’ one-liners. But in its third iteration, the series really upped its awesomeness quotient with the addition of Biel as Abagail Whistler, an arrow-slinging bad*ss hell bent on eradicating all of Dracula’s cousins. “Jessica’s a vampire-slaying super-heroine in Blade,” Braganza said. “She looks tough enough to hurt the bad guys.”
Getty Images
“300” wasn’t a movie. It was a 117-minute highlight reel for Gerard Butler’s abs. But here’s a fun fact: Seemingly the day after the film wrapped, Butler traded chin ups for cheeseburgers and cigarettes, and he was 15 pounds overweight before he’d even finished all the promotional interviews for the film. “I had six weeks to get Butler back in shape for a Men’s Health cover shoot that coincided with the movie’s release,” Dowdell said. “We trained six days a week, with three of those days dedicated to total body strength, and on the other three we’d do boxing, prowler pushing, or medicine ball work.”
Getty Images
Garner already had a fighter’s look from her role as a secret agent on TV series “Alias,” but she really hit the gym hard to play lethal ninja-ette Elektra Natchios. She worked with Valerie Waters, a LIVESTRONG.com adviser and creator of the “Red Carpet Ready” program. They trained six days a week, performing a mix of strength circuits and running intervals. “I consider Jen’s lean, limber look in this movie my finest work,” Waters said. “She was also doing martial arts and stunt training, so we couldn’t go too heavy on the weights. We did a lot of mixed circuits with bodyweight exercises, free weights, and core work.”
Getty Images
Christian Bale was disturbingly convincing as Patrick Bateman, a self-consumed Wall Streeter with a murderous streak. But what Bale can do better than act is gain and lose massive amounts of muscle. Wanna blow your mind? Watch this movie (where he’s huge), “The Machinist” (where he looks like he’s on a concentration camp diet), “Batman Begins” (back to huge), and “The Fighter” (gaunt and crack-addled) in a row. In “American Psycho,” those chiseled abs speak to Bateman’s vanity. “He embodies a control freak to a ‘T’ with his zero percent body fat,” said Ashley Borden, a LIVESTRONG.com adviser and creator of the S.O.S. Diet Plan.
Getty Images
In the first “Terminator” movie, Sarah Connor was a big-haired scaredy cat running for her life from the future governor of California. By the time “Terminator 2” rolled around, she’d ditched the perm for a pulled-back ponytail, looked like she’d done about 300 pushups a day, and was taking sh*t from no one. “Linda Hamilton was the ultimate bad *ss in Terminator 2,” Borden said. “She made vascular biceps chic. Never before did shoulder definition and a plain black tank top look so hot.” No wonder the Governator switched sides in this sequel.
Getty Images
Here’s another forgettable underwater-treasure movie that you’d probably never watch if it weren’t for all the scantily clad hot people. Thankfully, there’s plenty of shirtless McConaughey and bikini-clad Kate Hudson to hold your interest. “Matthew’s body says ‘fitness is my lifestyle.’ He’s a well-rounded athlete who participates in a lot of different sports, and you can see it in his musculature.” Borden said. “That tan works for him, too.”
Getty Images
Perhaps the only thing more shocking than Demi Moore’s buzzcut in “G.I. Jane” was her ability to rifle off one-arm push-ups. The movie did an amazing job of making the grueling physical tests Navy Seals undergo look especially brutal, but as Lt. Jordan O’Neil, Moore looked tough enough to handle it all. “Throughout the movie, you see her perform those exercises with good form – the pull-ups, hanging roll-ups, even those infamous one-arm push-ups,” Borden said. “She’s sculpted, strong and beautiful.”
Getty Images
Nearly 40 years after the premiere of “Enter the Dragon” in 1973, Bruce Lee remains the king of the strong, flexible, functional build. His martial arts skills are legendary, but he was also a workout maniac who used a variety of strength training techniques to build his chiseled physique. By the time “Enter the Dragon” was filmed, he’d trimmed his waistline from size 30 to size 26 while adding inches to his arms and legs. “In the movie, Lee shows an unbelievable ability to contract just about every muscle in his body,” Borden said. “He was just reaching his physical peak.” He died before the movie’s release.
Getty Images
In case you’re not familiar, here’s everything you need to know about “Closer:” Natalie Portman plays a stripper. Yes guys, you read that correctly. (Ladies, you can probably go ahead and skip to the next slide.) Natalie Portman. As. A stripper. Yet somehow, in the movie Jude Law can’t decide whether or not he’s in love with her. So there’s one more reason to hate him. Anyway, Dowdell got Portman into top physical shape for the role. “Natalie and I trained at the gym in the Ritz Carlton on Central Park South,” Dowdell said. “Her training sessions consisted of total body strength training workouts along with high-intensity intervals on the treadmill.”
Getty Images
Reynolds was already a hunky heartthrob, but to play cocky-test-pilot-turned-intergalactic-savior Hal Jordan, the actor needed to go from cut to shredded. “I’ve seen the effort Reynolds puts in at the gym firsthand,” Borden said. “Bobby Strom (Reynolds’ trainer) used 90-minute workouts that always varied, working different body parts on different days.” Strom told WebMD that he cooked for Reynolds six days a week, preparing a diet heavy on ground turkey, grilled salmon, and ground bison. The lean, muscular look that resulted seemed to work for Reynolds. “I love him, but I love him even more when he’s all ripped up, with those veins popping,” Braganza said.
Getty Images
Holy cow, will anyone ever forget the first time they saw Halle Berry pop out of the water in that orange bikini? The entrance may have been inspired by Ursula Andress (the first Bond Girl), but Berry’s beachfront saunter created a legend of its own. “Halle’s sexiness lies in the balance of her frame,” Borden said. “Her shoulder width is perfectly proportioned to the sweep of her quadriceps, emphasizing her muscular legs and small waist.” Die Another Day received mixed reviews and marked Pierce Brosnan’s last movie as James Bond, but Berry made Jinx Johnson the most memorable Bond girl of her generation.
Getty Images
Brit powerhouse Henry Cavill stated in interviews that “Immortals” required a “crazy amount of training,” adding that the actors spent up to eight hours a day in the gym, five days a week. Sounds extreme, but it’s hard to argue with the results – as Theseus, founder of the city of Athens, Cavill certainly looked like a Greek God. Word on the street is that he’ll be even more impressive as Superman in the forthcoming “Man of Steel.” “Not only did Cavill hit the weights hard, he consumed up to 5,000 calories per day with a mountain of protein to build a superhero physique,” Dowdell said.
Getty Images
To play the part of Anne Marie Chadwick, Bosworth (left, above) had to be fit – but not too fit. The lightweight actress, who told Shape she’s an avid runner, reportedly put on 15 pounds of muscle to handle the role, but did it without looking too ripped to be a beach-bumming surfer. As a result, “Kate exudes the look of an effortless surfer’s body,” Borden said. “She radiates strength and comfort in her bikini, and her confidence gives her a natural sexiness and appeal.”
Getty Images
The lineup of characters Edward Norton has played in movies goes something like this: Creepy skinny guy (“Primal Fear”), smart skinny guy (“People vs. Larry Flynt,”), skinny gambler guy (“Rounders”), gigantic raging neo-nazi bad*ss (“American History X”). His transformation from talented lightweight to terrifying-yet-impressively-chiseled hatemonger was as sudden as it was unexpected. Norton told the Calgary Sun he’d put on 30 pounds of muscle in just three months. “Not only did he get lots of press for his transformation,” Dowdell said, “but he also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.”
Getty Images
“I love Angelina’s look in Tomb Raider,” Waters said. “She’s one part toned athlete, one part gymnast, and three parts swagger.” Jolie played Lara Croft, a video game heroine who braves dangerous dungeons in search of ancient treasures, and reportedly performed her own stunts for the film. She prepared with months of boxing and other fight training. “You don’t pull off a look that tough by just doing Pilates,” Waters said.
Getty Images
By the time Brad Pitt took on the role of Achilles in Wolfgang Petersen’s remake of “The Iliad,” he’d already become famous for his physique from previous roles in “Thelma & Louise” and “Fight Club.” But the characters Pitt played in those films were abs-tastic skinny guys. Achilles was a nearly invincible mythical warrior, and needed to look like he was carved out of marble. “As Achilles, Brad put on quality size while still managing to look pretty ripped,” Dowdell says. “I’d say he added 10 to 15 pounds of actual lean muscle, easy.”
Getty Images
On her own website, Michelle describes herself as “a cross between beauty and brawn,” which probably made her perfect to play Chris Sanchez, a sub-machine-gun-toting mom who overcomes overt sexism to join an elite Los Angeles police squad. With her intense attitude and athletic build, Rodriguez embodied the part. “Michelle has a strong physique that says ‘not only is my body tight, but I can also kick your *ss.’” Borden said.
Getty Images
“The guy trained for that role for four years!” Borden exclaimed, describing how Wahlberg prepared to play boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. “He honed in his nutrition and dropped 30 pounds from his frame to build a fighter’s body. His serratus anteriors (muscles along the side of the chest) are beautiful.” Wahlberg reportedly built a boxing ring in order to train for the part. He told the San Antonio Express-Times “I didn’t want to look like an actor who could box a bit. I wanted to look like a boxer who could win the world welterweight title.” Mission accomplished.
Member Comments